Stephen Kinzer is the former New York Times Istanbul bureau chief who spent years in Turkey. The book is interesting and well-written, but he came across at times as an apologist for the government in his justifications for the Turkish crackdowns of Islam, of the Kurds, and of opposition political parties, as well as the military take overs that have occurred. He does an excellent job describing cultural customs of Turkey, such as the smoking bars, and discusses a little of Turkish history under Atatürk.